AutoHotkey Community

I come in late, but I would like to give my opinion on the topic.
I believe external sites shouldn't provide a link directly to the exe.
Two reasons:
1) I am always reluctant to use such link, even more in days of phising and similar trojan tricks...
2) It is similar to bandwidth stealing, althought this term applies more to displaying an image hosted by an external site without consent of the targetted server.
If even Chris wants to display ads on his site (why not?), such links means he would miss ad impressions.
And in all cases, I prefer to get informations from the source.

Similarly, I am even more reluctant to get a file stored on an external site, since it is likely to be outdated. Exception: when the original site disapeared...

Another point: I like too to suffix the downloads of programs with their version, Linux style: AutoHotkey-1.0.42.03.zip
Most of the time, I have to type it each time I do a download (when the information is even available!).
Now, I understand that my format may not suit all tastes: AutoHotkey_1.0.42.03.zip or AutoHotkey_1_0_42_03.zip are other popular formats.
The chosen one (thanks, Chris, for the update!), at least, means we only have to add punctuation, not to remove the improper one before...
So, basically, this change is good (thanks JSLover!).

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vPhiLho := RegExReplace("Philippe Lhoste", "^(\w{3})\w*\s+\b(\w{3})\w*$", "$1$2")

...get ready...hold on...I'm about to agree with you...no wait! don't faint...I like that style...with a dash & dots...AutoHotkey-1.0.42.03.exe...I don't at all like your "other popular formats"...underscore is ugly for most purposes (when a dash is accepted by whatever).


...I don't like the "chosen one" either...AutoHotkey104203_Install.exe...looks weird...I like any of...

• AutoHotkey104203.exe - old school (like it always has been)
• AutoHotkeyInstall104203.exe - old school + new school...but in a better place (& no $%#$%# underscore)
• AutoHotkey-1.0.42.03.exe - best

...omg we agree...well...give it time...btw my version was a little more sparkly than what got implemented (had a text box to type a version number into {in addition to the download links, not instead!}...& would look for it locally & then go for autohotkey.net if it wasn't found here...it also read CurrentVersion.txt to update the redirect automatically).

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AutoHotkey-Hotstring.ahk - Helping the world spell "AutoHotkey" correctly! (btw, it's a lowercase k!)

I would prefer:
AutoHotkey_v1.0.42.04.exe

but I would go with
AutoHotkey-1.0.42.04.exe
as well

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Ciao
toralf

Thanks for the feedback.

The current name for the installer (AutoHotkey104205_Install.exe) was chosen because:
1) It's consistent with the names of the source code files and the ZIP file.
2) It seems more friendly because it's self-documenting: it makes it clear that the file is an installer and not the program itself.

Also, file naming conventions are highly personal: what one person likes is completely distasteful to someone else. Although we could have a poll to decide on a new name, I don't think I'd want any of the following:

1) Names with extra periods in them for the version number: Although it's good because it makes it clearer what the version is, extra dots seem unconventional and slightly unprofessional.

2) Names without an "Install" in them: I prefer to have "Install" present for clarity.

3) Names with dashes in them: I seem to remember problems with URLs or some file systems not liking dashes in file names. Even if I'm remembering it wrong, I find underscores nicer because it makes the separate parts of the filename stand out more (at least when displayed with a non-monospace font).

4) Names with no dividing characters at all, e.g. AutoHotkey104203Install.exe ... not bad but looks a little messy (mostly because the letter "I" looks like the digit "1" when it's up against the other digits). To go to the other extreme, arguably there should be an underscore after "AutoHotkey" (as Toralf suggested).

More comments are welcome. Thanks.

As you write, this is mostly a question of taste, so I won't argue to change the current naming scheme, but rather to discuss some points:

1) "unconventional and slightly unprofessional"? Why? Almost all open source projects (most in the Linux world, indeed, but the habit has been taken in the Windows world as well) use this numbering scheme. Just take a look at most SourceForge.net downloads. It is widely used.

2) Why not. I find this annoying because it is extremly rare to download "raw" exe (ie. which are not install programs), and I keep my downloaded files in a separate folder, so there is no ambiguity. But it doesn't annoy me.

3) I never heard of problem with dashes in URLs (perfectly legal) or in paths. Now, the visual taste is something else I won't argue.

3) No dividing characters... Ambiguous (is it 1.04.20.3 or 1.042.03?) but as I wrote, I can easily add them, and it is clearly stated in the download page, so no problem for me.

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vPhiLho := RegExReplace("Philippe Lhoste", "^(\w{3})\w*\s+\b(\w{3})\w*$", "$1$2")

...so is AutoHotkeyInstall104203.exe out then?


...not to burst your bubble...but I've kinda thought a scrunched version number...AutoHotkey104203.exe...was a little unprofessional...hard to read...but I haven't yet manually added dots...I've always removed the word Install & added the (scrunched) version number to the exe & just added the version number to the zip (now I just have to remove _Install while saving the exe).

• was: AutoHotkeyInstall.exe / AutoHotkey.zip
• is: AutoHotkey104203_Install.exe / AutoHotkey104203.zip

...they were never consistent...consistent would be...

• AutoHotkey104203.exe / AutoHotkey104203.zip

...nooo! no more underscores!!! aaaaaaahhhhhhh!


...exactly...I could write a script to (set &) read a cookie for the version format...(if it's not set default to something)...I'll get on that...(even if you don't use it I'll link to the download script on my site {redirecting to autohotkey.com/.net for the real file}...& people can set their cookie that way).

On a side note...I've always thought the source filenames were too wordy (but still saved as-is...couldn't think of a better name...until now)...

• AutoHotkey104203_source.exe -> AutoHotkey104203-src.exe
• AutoHotkey104203_compiler_source.exe -> ahk2exe104203-src.exe

OMG!...check out the current size of the source download...can't you add a 5KB text file or something?


...hmm...I think something got lost in the translation...

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AutoHotkey-Hotstring.ahk - Helping the world spell "AutoHotkey" correctly! (btw, it's a lowercase k!)

Thanks for the comments. Although I see the merit of extra periods inside the version number, it would look a little awkward without another understore before the version number:
AutoHotkey1.0.42.05_Install.exe
Also, it makes the filename a little longer, which hurts its score a little.

Concerning the cookie idea for users to customize the file name, I probably won't use it because it makes the code behind the download page more complicated than I want it. Also, cookies tend to annoy some people due to their shady reputation (though I know it's unwarranted to frown upon all cookies just because of the misbehavior of a few).

Thanks.

Thank you sincerely for pointing out my syntax mistakes, I love to improve my English.
Well, here it is not a problem of syntax, just of meaning. I should have written "It doesn't annoy me too much" (or "that much"), ie. I can bear editing a filename once in a while.

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vPhiLho := RegExReplace("Philippe Lhoste", "^(\w{3})\w*\s+\b(\w{3})\w*$", "$1$2")

The problem with dots/periods is two-fold.
1) Some OS's still think it the end of a filename,
2) It makes the filename longer than it needs to be.

Personally, I think the old scrunched version was best. Anyone with an interest in the world of AHK will understand it, others just don't care and would probably prefer 'AutoHotkeyInstall', or some variation with '_' or '-' (yuk!).

JsLovers' idea using an alias is great if it can be made to work. I"m sure other sites would like some method to implement.

I'd also be happy with the installer pasting the version number on the end. Normally I prefer zips but AHK install is good, so I tend to update using it.

I'm an Australian so this is my "Two Bobs Worth"

gq.

1) Which one? MS-Dos? Windows maintains a 8.3 name just for it...
And if a program still searches the first dot from the left to find the extension, either it is veeeery old, or very badly coded...

2) Come on, we get at least 255 characters for a filename. Well, slightly less if you want to burn it on a standard CD-Rom, but more than enough. Do you type filenames that often?

It reminds me of old school C programmers from the Unix world, using variables names like lp, sp, mp. It was good in old times, but now you have editors with autocompletion or drag'n'drop...

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vPhiLho := RegExReplace("Philippe Lhoste", "^(\w{3})\w*\s+\b(\w{3})\w*$", "$1$2")

I still pop out to dos quite often. I work in a 4dos shell with lots of old software including the venerable List amongst others. javascript:emoticon(':oops:')
I suppose I'll have to give it up one day. I was being picky.

gq.

Windows name: C:\Program Files\USys\AutoHotkey\AutoHotkey-1.0.42.3.exe
Dos name: C:\PROGRA~1\USys\AUTOHO~1\AUTOHO~2.EXE

Windows name: E:\tmp\A-b.C d.foo
Dos name: E:\tmp\A-BCD~1.FOO
type "A-b.C d.foo"

Dos isn't dead, we all still use command line utilities (useful with AHK).
It just has more cryptic names (but AutoHotkey name length is > 8 anyway) and we can quote long names (dunno with true MS-Dos, though).

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vPhiLho := RegExReplace("Philippe Lhoste", "^(\w{3})\w*\s+\b(\w{3})\w*$", "$1$2")

It's a bit late to react, but I will anyway.
I disagree.

I prefer software that doesn't need to be installed, but can be copied onto a memory stick, and run directly from there.
I work on four different computers (two at home, and one at each of two offices), and I walk around with lots of tools on a memory stick (my boss won't let me install software, and won't let me download program files, but so far he doesn't object to my plugging in a memory stick and running software from it - so far, anyway, please don't wake him up!).

Therefore I always download (at home) the zip version of AHK and unpack it onto my memory stick. This goes for other tools as well.

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The Gods smile upon you. Beware - it is probably because they know what is going to happen to you next, and find it amusing. To them, anyway. --- Discworld Horrorscope: http://www.weirdnes.force9.co.uk/stars3.html

So do I! Might be one reason why I'm so comfortable with CMD/CLI tools.
If its buggy - kill it - solved.

I personally like the version # but from my experiance, the average person will hate that.